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Author of the Month

Happy birthday to our favorite children's authors! Every month we celebrate those amazing writers and illustrators who call on their talents and life experiences to create books that kids love. Read on to learn more about their lives and livelihoods.

Authors by their birthday month: January -- February -- March -- April -- May -- June -- July -- August -- September -- October -- November -- December
The Strange Stories of Jon Scieszka
Author Profiles, Fables, Fairy Tales, Satire, September kids, Time Travel, Virginia Johnson, Autobiography and Biography, Humor, Picture Book
09/02/2009 - 7:59pm

Jon Scieszka (pronounce that SHESH-ka) is a wild and crazy guy. Don't leave the man alone in a room with an old-fashioned story. He'll twist it and bend it around 'til it looks like something that should be dripping with cheese and sold at the shopping mall.

His takes on classic tales are so off-the-wall you'll wonder what it would have been like to have him in your class. Let me tell you: it would have been dangerous-for you. He'd sit quietly, and then he'd crack up the other kids without making a sound. THEY would be the ones to get into trouble. Not Jon.

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Beatrix Potter, Peter Rabbit, and Other Friends
19th century, Animals, Author Profiles, Ballet, England, Farm Life, July kids, Toys, Virginia Johnson, Picture Book
09/02/2009 - 7:58pm

Over 100 years ago, Helen Beatrix Potter was born in London. Her family had plenty of money, but they were not truly happy. Lonely Beatrix lived upstairs in the nursery. She rarely saw her parents and was looked after by a nanny, who, although she was strict, did tell her marvelous fairy stories which she loved. Beatrix and her little brother were happiest when the family went on holidays (vacations) to the countryside. There the children were free to play outside and explore nature.

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Margret Rey and Curious George
Animals, Author Profiles, Germany, Immigrants, May kids, World War II, Arts and Artists, Autobiography and Biography, Humor, Literary/Classics, Picture Book
09/02/2009 - 7:57pm

Margret Rey and her husband, H.A. Rey, had no children themselves, but thousands of kids across the world have made friends with their little monkey, Curious George.

Margret was born in Hamburg, Germany, in May of 1906. She studied art at the famous Bauhaus School and elsewhere before moving to Brazil in 1935. Margret married a fellow German artist, Hans Augusto (H. A.) Rey, and together they started the first advertising agency in Rio de Janeiro. They came back to Paris during some of its cruelest days, just before the Nazi occupation. Somehow, funny and delightful Curious George was created during those difficult times.

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Richard Peck: A Teacher Finds His Audience
1890s, April kids, Author Profiles, Farm Life, Ghosts, Newbery Award, Teachers, Virginia Johnson, World's Fair, Autobiography and Biography, Families, Historical Fiction
09/02/2009 - 7:56pm

Richard Peck grew up in the heartland town of Decatur, Illinois. His childhood and young adulthood were filled with grown-ups of different generations. If a problem arose, there was always someone around to ask for advice.

When 16, he took a trip to the Empire State that changed the way he felt about Illinois. He realized that New York City was the place he wanted to be. At 20, he sailed for England to spend a year at the University of Exeter. The American students were popular because they were so out-going and made friends easily. The rest of his college days were spent in Illinois, but that one year abroad opened up his eyes to the world's possibilities.

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Peggy Rathmann Makes Reading Fun
Author Profiles, Caldecott Medal, March kids, Virginia Johnson, Arts and Artists, Autobiography and Biography, Humor, Picture Book
09/02/2009 - 7:55pm

It was her third grade teacher who showed Peggy Rathmann that reading could be fun. She had spent the first two grades squinting at the blackboard, trying to make out the alphabet with her nearsighted eyes. But her third grade teacher used pictures to tell stories, and when Peggy grew up to be a famous illustrator, she made sure that her big, bold pictures were clearly outlined in black ink so the kids in the back of the class could see them clearly.

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Ann M. Martin: A Friend Forever
August kids, Author Profiles, Friendship, Mentally handicapped, Newbery Honor, Series books, Autobiography and Biography
09/02/2009 - 7:52pm

When people hear the name Ann M. Martin, they naturally think of her wildly popular Baby-sitters Club series. What was supposed to be just a four-book set turned into a 130-book saga, not counting the 120-book series for younger readers, Baby-sitters' Club Little Sisters and other spin-offs.

Why did these quick books about four very different middle-school friends take off on the bestseller lists? The secret must lie with Ann's gift for remembering her feelings throughout childhood and young adulthood. She was a babysitter herself, and a lot of the things that happened to the babysitters on the job happened to her or her friends. She also remembers what it feels like to lose a parent, have an annoying little sister, and deal with family secrets.

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Gary Soto: Storyteller from the Barrio
April kids, Author Profiles, Cats, Elementary school, Hispanic, Poverty, Recipes, Spanish language, Virginia Johnson, Arts and Artists, Autobiography and Biography, Families, Multicultural, Picture Book, Poetry
08/06/2009 - 7:07pm

Gary Soto came from a hard background by anyone's reckoning. His young father died in an industrial accident when Gary was only five years old. His Mexican-American family was struggling and lived in a tough neighborhood--next to a junkyard and across from a pickle factory. All through school, he and his family worked at whatever jobs they could get, including picking fruits as migrant laborers.

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Candice Ransom
Author Profiles, Christmas, Fredericksburg (Va.), Mountaineers, Shenandoah National Park, Slavery, Historical Fiction
08/06/2009 - 6:39pm

By Robyn Porter, CRRL Intern

Candice Ransom, the author of 100 children's books, balances the responsibilities of a writing career with the creative energy necessary for reaching young readers. Her works include picture books, young adult books, and early readers. Many hold historical or biographical significance, like Liberty Street, published in 2003.

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